Run To You

“How?”
    “He’s my twin brother.”
    “There are two of you?” Even through the tangle of emotion and collision of racing thoughts in her head, she winced at the horror.
    “Yeah. Twice the fun.” He handed her the duffel from the rear seat. “You don’t even have to check a bag.”
    “Oh.” She didn’t want to go. She really didn’t, but no one cared.
    He pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and placed a big hand beneath her chin. He lifted her gaze, and his touch was warm against her skin, firm, and strangely comforting. Like a strong tether in a life that was spinning out of control. Only he was responsible for most of the spinning. Horns honked around them. Wheels on luggage clattered across the pavement as he stared at her from behind his mirrored sunglasses. She caught her reflection and inwardly flinched. She looked terrible. Pale and tired and about ready to jump out of her own skin.
    “Are you going to be okay?”
    She turned her face away and took a step back. What did it matter? He didn’t care. Clearly he wanted to dump her at the curb and get on with his life. She pushed her glasses down and the corners of her lips up. “I’m good.”
    “Are you sure?” He tilted his head to one side and added with his own special brand of sensitivity, “You don’t look too good.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Are you nervous about meeting your sister?”
    Nervous? “No.” Terrified.
    “Good. She obviously wants to meet you.”
    She didn’t know which terrified her more. The prospect of staying in Miami and running into Lefty or flying to Texas and meeting Sadie. “Wonderful.” She lifted her free hand and gave a little wave. “Thanks for the ride and for rescuing me from the Gallos.” Although the reason they’d been at her apartment in the first place had totally been his fault.
    “Sure.” He moved to the front of the SUV. “You have my card. Give my cell a call if need anything.”
    She took another step back and dropped her hand. He didn’t mean it. His job was done. He didn’t care, and why should he? He didn’t know her and didn’t owe her anything. He’d been hired by Sadie to give her a message. That was it. “Okay. Bye.” She turned on the worn heels of her Doc Martens and walked toward the automatic doors. They opened and she moved inside. Rows of ticket lines snaked around the roped areas, crammed with travelers. Families with small children pushed strollers and luggage. He’d said she had a first-class ticket on American Airlines. She glanced over her shoulder one last time as the SUV pulled away from the curb. Was she going to do this? Could she do this? Just get on a plane and meet her sister for the first time? People rushed past, voices pressed in on her, and her phone rang. She set her duffel on the floor, then reached inside a side pocket of her backpack and pulled it out. The number of Ricky’s Rock ’N’ Roll flashed across the screen. Ricky. Her scalp got tight and tingly at the thought. Or it could be Malika. Her friend and coworker had never been responsible with her cell bill and often had her phone turned off. She should tell Malika good-bye. Reassure Malika that she was okay. She stared at the phone for several more seconds, then pushed answer.
    “Hello.”
    “Where are you?”
    It wasn’t Malika and she fought the urge to duck and cover at the sound of her former boss’s voice. He was so mad, it sounded like he spoke from between gritted teeth.
    “Tell me where you are, Stella.” The last time she’d seen Ricky, he’d been a puddle of tangerine at her feet. “I won’t hurt you.”
    Like hell.
    “I just want your boyfriend’s name.” He paused. “Hello. Are you there?”
    “He’s not my boyfriend.”
    “Is he part of those Gorokhov bastards?” he gritted between his teeth. “He looked Russian.”
    “Joe?” He looked all-American.
    “His name is Joe? Joe what?”
    “I’d never met him before last night.” Which was true. “He was just some guy in the parking lot.” Which was mostly true.
    “The lot video caught you leaving with him.”
    She’d forgotten about the security cameras in the parking lot. “Then you can probably see that I was as surprised to see him as you were.” For one optimistic moment she thought she could reason with her former boss. Maybe make everything okay again. “I swear that—”
    “Cut the shit!” Ricky screamed into the phone, crushing her unrealistic hope and raising the tiny hairs on